Adjustable lift hooks



Nov. 28, 1961 E. J. DAY ETAL ADJUSTABLE LIFT HOOKS Filed June 20, 1960JNVENTORS ERNEST J- DAY BY RALPH W.- BERG mm? ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent F 3,010,751 ADJUSTABLE LIFT HOOKS Ernest J. Day, 5440 Modoc Ave.,Richmond, Calif., and Ralph W. Berg, 2469 Fordham St., San Pablo, Calif.Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,159 6 Claims. (Cl. 294-81) Ourinvention relates to lift means and more particuiarly to lift means forobjects such as cylinders or the like having stub shafts extending fromeach end.

Among the objects of our invention are:

(1) To provide novel and improved lift means for handling objects suchas cylinders or the like of different lengths;

(2) To provide novel and improved adjustable lift means adapted tohandle cylinders within a wide range of lengths;

(3) To provide novel and improved adjustable lift means for cylinders orthe like, which may be readily adjustable to the cylinder to be handled;

(4) To provide novel and improved adjustable lift means whichsubstantially maintains balance throughout its'range of adjustment;

(5) To provide novel and improved adjustable lift means which may beadjusted to maximum spread with inherent safety.

Additional objects of our invention will be brought out in the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation of the lift means of the presentinvention in its preferred form;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a front View similar to FIG. 1 but depicting the same in adifferent state of adjustment;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary three dimensional view illustrating in enlargeddetail, a feature of the present invention, and

MG. 5 depicts a detail of the invention.

Referring to the drawings for details of our invention in its preferredform, the same comprises a coupling member, preferably in the form of aplate 1 of generally triangular shape having spaced holes 3 therethroughat its various corners, two of such holes being utilized to pivotallyanchor to the plate, a pair of link members 5. The remaining hole in thecoupling member is utilized for suspending the lift means from a hoistor simi lar apparatus.

At the free end of each link member is pivotally secured a loadsupporting member 7, preferably one having its load engaging end in theform of a hook 9.

interconnecting the load supporting members are means 11 for adjustablyspacing these members to accommodate the same to the, loadto be carriedthereby. The essence of the present invention resides in theconstruction and assembly of the spreading means to realize a maximumrange of adjustment.

The adjusting means 11, in its preferred form, includes a pair oftelescoping members, the outer member 13 being hollow and open at bothends, while the inner member 14 is slidable therein and of a lengthcorresponding to that of the outer member. The inner member is afixed atone end to one of the load supporting members 7 in spaced relationshipthereto, as by a pin 15, while the outer of the telescoping members isafl'ixed at one end to the other of the load supporting members 7 and insuch manner as to leave said end open whereby the inner member may slidethrough and beyond said open end. A corresponding relationship isprovided between the outer member and the inner member, at the securedend of the inner member, by forming a slot 16 ICC.

in a wall of the outer member, permitting clearance around the pin 15.

To maintain the spacing between the load supporting members in anyadjustment within the range of the telescoping adjusting means, theinner of the telescoping members is provided with a plurality ofrecesses or holes 17 therein, while on the outer of the telescopingmembers, we mount a spring pressed manually releasable pawl 19,operating through a hole 21 in the outer memher, to engage any of therecesses or holes in the inner member which may be in alignmenttherewith. By manually releasing the pawl from engagement with the innermember, the spacing between the load supporting members may be quicklyadjusted to the load to be carried, following which the pawl may bepermitted to again engage the inner member in that recess or perforationin alignment therewith, to hold such adjustment until 2. change isdesired.

By enabling either of the telescoping members to extend beyond the fixedend of the other, the range of permissible adjustment can be greatlyenlarged, and in any event to a maximum spread which will exceed twicethe minimum. When both telescoping members are capable of being soextended, a weight balance is substantially maintained, thus minimizingany probability of tilting or angular rotation of the device.

Unintentional spreading of the device beyond the maximum expansionlength of the telescoping members, can be precluded by incorporating inthe construction of the device, a certain definite relationship of themembers. By making the overall length of the coupling plate 1 and thelink members 5, 5 less than the maximum expansion length of thetelescoping members, dissociation of the telescoping members cannot takeplace. When endowed with this relationship, the device may be adjustedto maximum spread with inherent safety.

' From the foregoing description of our invention in its preferred form,it will be apparent that the same fulfills all the objects attributedthereto, and while we have illustrated and described in detail, ourinvention in its preferred form, it will be apparent that the same issubject to some alteration and modification without departing from theunderlying principles involved and we accordingly do not desire to belimited in our protection to the specific details illustrated anddescribed except as may be necessited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable device comprising a coupling member; a pair of loadsupporting members; means pivotally supporting said load supportingmembers from said coupling member; means for adjusting the spacingbetween 'said load supporting members, said means including a pair ofmembers, each affixed adjacent an end thereof to one of said loadsupporting members and adapted to extend in a horizontal position beyondthe other of said load supporting members as the load supporting membersare adjusted toward each other; means slidably coupling said pair ofmembers in horizontal position without restriction to movement of eachmember beyond the other end of the other member, whereby said slidablycoupled members will enable said load supporting members to beadjustably spaced through a range wherein the maximum spacing willexceed twice the minimum spacing; and means for maintaining an adjustedspacing of said load supporting members within said range.

2. An adjustable lift device comprising a coupling member; a pair oflink members, each pivotally attached at one end to said couplingmember; a load supporting member pivotally secured to each of said linkmembers at its free end; means for adjusting the spacing between saidload supporting members, said means including a pair of members, eachafiixed adjacent an end thereof to one of Patented Nov. 28, 1961 ahorizontal position beyond the other of said load supporting members asthe load supporting members are adjusted toward each other; meansslidably coupling said pair of members in horizontal position withoutrestriction to movement of each member beyond the other end of the othermember, whereby said slidably coupled members will enable said loadsupporting members to be adjustablyspaced through a range wherein themaximum spacing will exceed twice the spacing; and means associated withsaid slidably coupled members for maintaining an adjusted spacing ofsaid load supporting members within said range.

a 3. An adjustable lift device comprising 'a coupling member; a pair oflink members, each pivotally attached at one end to said couplingmember; a load supporting member pivotally secured to each of said linkmembers at its free end; means for adjusting the spacing between saidload supporting members, said means comprising telescoping membersincluding an outer hollow member open at each end and an inner member,said inner member being slidable in said outer member and aflixed at oneend to one of said load supporting members, while said outer member, atone end is afiixed to the other of said load supporting members and insuch manner as to leave said end open, and means adapting said outermember to extend beyond the fixed end of said inner member, whereby saidtelescoping members will enable said load "supporting members to'beadjustably spaced through a range wherein the maximum spacing willexceed twice the minimum spacing.

4. An adjustable lift device comprising a coupling member; a pair oflink members, each pivotally attached at one end to said couplingmember; a load supporting member pivotally secured to each of said linkmembers at its free end; means for adjusting the spacing between saidload supporting members, said means comprising telescoping membersincluding an outer hollow member open at each end and an inner member ofcomparable length, said inner member being slidable in said outer memberand affixed at one end to one of said load supporting members, whilesaid outer member, at one end is afiixed to the other of said loadsupporting members and in such manner as to leave said end open, andmeans adapting said outer member to extend beyond the fixed end of saidinner member, whereby said telescoping members will enable said loadsupporting members to be adjustably spaced through a range wherein themaximum spacing will exceed twice the minimum spacing; and latch meansassociated with said telescoping members for maintaining an adjustedspacing of said load supporting members within said'range, said latchmeans including a spring pressed manually releasable pawl mounted onsaid outer telescopic member and adapted to engage said inner member inany of said inner member recesses, and means for precluding thepermissible'spreading of said load supporting means, beyond theotherwise capability of said adjusting means, said precluding meansincluding said coupling member and link members having an overall lengthless than the maximum capable expansion length of said telescopingmembers.

5. An adjustable lift device comprising a coupling member; a pair oflink members, each pivotally attached at one end to said couplingmember; a load supporting member pivotally secured to each of said linkmembers at its free, end; means for adjusting the spacing between saidload supporting members, said means comprising telescoping membersincluding an outer hollow member open at each end and an inner member ofcomparable length and, having a plurality of spaced recesses therealong,said inner member being slidable in said outer member and afiixed at oneend to one of said load supporting members, while said outer member, atone end is affixed to the other of said load supporting members and insuch manner as to leave said end open, and means adapting said outermember to extend beyond the fixed end of said inner member, whereby saidtelescoping members will enable said load supporting member to beadjustably spaced through a range wherein the maximum spacing willexceed twice the minimum spacing; and latch means associated with saidtelescoping members for maintaining an adjusted spacing of said leadsupporting members Within said range, said latch means including aspring pressed manually releasable pawl mounted on said outer telescopicmember and adapted to engage said inner member in any of said innermember recesses, and means for precluding the permissible spreading ofsaid load supporting means, beyond the otherwise capability of saidadjusting means, said precluding means including 4 said coupling memberand link members having an overall length less than the maximum capableexpansion length of said telescoping members.

. 6. An adjustable, lift device comprising a coupling member; a pair oflink members,- each pivotally attached at one end to said couplingmember; a load supporting member pivotally anchored to each of said linkmembers at its free end; means for adjusting the spacing between saidload supporting members, said means comprising telescoping membersincluding an outer hollow member open at each end and an inner member,said, inner member being slidable in said outer member and pin mountedat one end to one of said lead supporting members, While said outermember, at one end is affixed to the other of said loadsupportingmembers and in such manner as to leave said end open, saidouter member having a slot at its other end to straddle said pinmounting and extend beyond the fixed end of the said inner member,whereby said telescoping members will enable said load supportingmembers to be adjustably spaced through a range wherein the maximumspacing will exceed twice the minimum spacing; and means for maintainingan adjusted spacing of said load supporting members within said range.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTSWilliams Aug. 7, 1951

